Colombian presidential candidate survives surgery after head shooting

Colombian right-wing presidential candidate and senator Miguel Uribe is recovering after undergoing initial surgery following a shooting during a campaign event in Bogota.

The 39-year-old was shot twice in the head and once in the knee on Saturday while addressing supporters.

Authorities detained the suspected shooter, reportedly a 15-year-old, after a security guard intervened. Uribe was airlifted to Santa Fe Clinic in critical condition, where he underwent neurosurgery and a vascular procedure. Bogota Mayor Carlos Fernando Galan confirmed Uribe had survived the first stage of treatment, entering what he described as “critical hours” of recovery.

Uribe’s wife stated he had made it through surgery and was “fighting for his life.” Videos from the scene showed him severely wounded as people rushed to help.

Two others were also injured in the attack, and police recovered a Glock-style firearm. The motive remains unclear, and authorities have launched an investigation, offering a reward of around $725,000 for any leads.

President Gustavo Petro condemned the incident as an attack on democracy and pledged full investigative efforts. However, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio criticized Petro’s rhetoric, linking it to rising political tensions.

Miguel Uribe, a member of the Democratic Center party, had announced his candidacy for the 2026 presidential election. He has been an outspoken critic of President Petro and previously served in various political roles in Bogota.

His family has a notable history in Colombian politics and journalism, his mother, Diana Turbay, was a journalist killed after being kidnapped by Pablo Escobar's cartel, and his grandfather, Julio César Turbay, was Colombia’s president from 1978 to 1982.